[rwfromkansas]

Blair was a HS grad only?

What the heck?

I have been wanting a summer job at the local newspaper here and am a college sophomore. I wrote some stories in HS that were pretty significant, dealing with national events etc. I wrote one story about the teachers at impasse over contract one year and had people come up to me many times saying the coverage was better than the local newspaper. People even read my article at the board meeting. But unfortunately, the local paper requires people with experience at professional papers. Now, I am friends and neighbors with the publisher, so who knows, but I am not trying for this year anyway since I am recovering from surgery and won't be able to work till early July or so.

This is a small town. Now something is seriously wrong if the NYTimes will take somebody off the freaking street. That is seriously messed up......

[george wythe]

Blair was a HS grad only?

Yes, he went to college but dropped out without getting any degrees.

So was this African-American's quick ascension at the Times, which he joined without graduating from college (he lied about that, too -- a fire-able offense, if anyone had bothered to check). Despite repeated irresponsible behavior, questionable reporting, and a boss who told his superiors, "We must stop Jayson from writing for the Times," Blair was promoted and assigned to two of the biggest stories of the year.

Compare Blair's treatment with other reporters' cases:

To even be considered for employment at the Times, a reporter candidate often needs:

1. Orthodox socialist/politically correct views on … everything;

2. A bachelor's degree from an Ivy League school or an OPU (overpriced, private university) equivalent, e.g., NYU;

3. A master's degree in journalism, preferably from Columbia University; and

4. A storied career at a daily newspaper;